Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Genesis 17: 3-9 and John 8:51-59

In our first reading from the Old Testament, we read about God’s covenant with Abraham. On the surface this is a story we have heard many times of God giving Abraham and his descendants all the land of Canaan. In return they simply need to keep His covenant.  We know that a covenant is an agreement or contract between two or more parties but we need to dig deeper and truly see that it is God who initiates this covenant with His people and not vice versa.  There have been many times in my life where I made my own private covenant with God if He would only simply deliver what it was I wanted or desired, or if he would help me get an “A” in my calculus mid-term I would follow Him forever.  You probably know how that story played out: I simply forgot or didn’t uphold my part of the covenant when I received the desired item I coveted.  Let us remember that it is God who initiated this covenant and He will bless all who simply follow His word.

In John, Jesus tells us that “whoever obeys my word will never see death.”  Jesus challenges the people of Israel to accept His word as the revelation of God but they did not understand.  The Jews go so far as to ask Jesus “who do you claim to be?”  He answers, “before Abraham was, I am.”  Again the Jews don’t understand that Jesus doesn’t change, He is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever.  Jesus is not simply a man who came, lived, died, and then rose again.  Like His covenant with Abraham, God is immortal and timeless.

As we approach the Holy Week, let us remember that it is through His death and rising that makes it possible for us to share in His eternal Kingdom.  He doesn’t ask much of us, we simply need to believe in His resurrection.

Daniel Meyer
Vice President for Enrollment Management